Letter: Concerns Over Privacy Must Be Weighed Against Need For Protection

(This letter was written by Howard Wiesenfeld)

Dear Editor:

A number of Scarsdale residents have expressed concerns about the scope and selection of new public safety technology to protect our community (“Does Scarsdale Want to be Associated with Flock Safety?”, opinion piece by Mayra Kirkendall-Rodriguez).

But we all need to be equally serious about the real potential dangers that new security tools are meant to address: In the very same issue, it was reported that a third grade girl walking home from Heathcote School was approached by a stranger in a car. I don’t think it’s going out on a limb to say that most parents, in any community, are willing to do far more where their children’s safety is at stake.

We ought to be thankful that violent crime is not be an everyday problem in Scarsdale, but it is a difficult reality in many neighborhoods close to ours. Meanwhile, the entire metropolitan area has seen a shocking explosion in hate crime, including violence, against Jewish citizens and institutions. Many of the most egregious incidents have occurred in “low crime” areas.

While it is proper to examine the process by which the Village Board approves any contract, incremental concerns over privacy must be weighed against the very legitimate and urgent need to protect our families.

Howard H. Wiesenfeld
howardwies@gmail.com